This invention relates in general to electrical connectors and in particular to a electrical connector for a spindle motor in a hard disk drive.
The electrical connection of the spindle motor for a hard disk drive (HDD) requires a low cost, easily manufactured reliable connection which fits within a constrained space and maintains the sealed environment of the HDD. In one type of prior art design, the electrical portion of the spindle motor is built as a unit with a base plate, and the motor wires are sealed with potting compound as they exit the unit. This design has the disadvantage of requiring the disks to be stacked in the base plate which necessitates a screw-type clamp. Screw clamps are expensive and show poor curvature performance.
In a second prior art design, a flexible cable is routed through a hole or joint in the base casting and is sealed by a piece of tape or a gasket. The routing of the flexible cable in the manufacturing process is difficult. This solution also adds the cost of the flexible cable, and the seal performance is problematic. Additionally, the cable must be plugged to the printed circuit board (PCB) as an additional operation in the manufacturing process.
A third solution utilizes a connector which is integral to the base casting. The connector has a mating connector which is contained in the flange of the spindle motor. The motor wires exit the base casting either via a potted connector which is separate from the main arm electronics connector (AEC), or are joined to the AEC by a flexible cable located inside the file. Both the potted connector and the internal flexible cable add cost, and the routing of the motor signals through the AEC can introduce motor switching noise into the sensitive signals from the read-write heads in the other lines of the AEC. In addition, this design typically requires precise angular alignment of the motor to the base. This requirement enhances manufacturing difficulties and cost during assembly.
In a fourth prior art design, the connector is integral to the motor shaft which protrudes through the casting wall. The motor is secured by a nut which is external to the shaft. The connector is on the end of the shaft and plugs directly into the PCB. This is an expensive design which typically has pins in the motor that are vulnerable to damage. It also requires a nut that is more difficult to handle during the manufacturing process. In addition, this design limits the amount of space available for the motor since the end of the shaft must be at the PCB level. Limiting the motor space reduces its efficiency and increases the power consumption of the file. An improved electrical connector for the motor of an HDD is needed.
A cordless compression motor connector connects a spindle motor inside a hard disk drive enclosure to a printed circuit board (PCB) mounted outside the disk enclosure. The disk enclosure includes a base casting formed with a lipped aperture. The connector includes a rigid, cantilever-like insulating body having conductors supported therein. The conductors terminate at the resilient spring contacts located at both ends of the connector body. One end of the connector body is secured to the PCB with a screw such that the resilient contacts on one end are compression connected to contacts on the PCB. The other end of the connector body passes through the aperture and reacts against the lip in the base casting. Contacts formed on the spindle motor are compression connected to the electrical contacts on the other end of the connector body.